Dancing 'Round in the Refrigerator Light
by banannie112
Summary: He walked back over to Clara and held out his hand. Clara looked at him skeptically, "What are you doing?" John shrugged, "I'm just doing what the fortune cookie said. Who am I to stand in the way of fate?" Clara laughed, shaking her head. She sighed, took John's hand, and stood up. John grinned, placing his other hand on her waist and pulling her towards the middle of the room.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've come to the conclusion that I enjoy writing little drabbles and oneshots much more than full length stories! Anyway, I was listening to this list on 8tracks (8tracks[.com]/smarsbars157/d) It's great and I recommend listening to it while reading this! It adds to the affect ;) I hope you like this modern Whouffle oneshot!**

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><p>John Smith smiled as he walked into Clara Oswald's apartment, carrying bags of takeout. Clara shouted from the living room,<p>

"Draft!" He grinned and kicked the door shut behind him. He happily walked into the kitchen and sat the food on the table. Clara jumped up from the sofa, clutching her book to her chest. He nodded to her book as he unpacked the Chinese,

"Whatcha reading now, Clara?" Clara popped a gummy bear, from the bowl on the counter, in her mouth. She jumped on the counter and swung her legs back and forth,

"_The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight_. It's really quite good." She slid off the counter and grabbed two forks out of the drawer. She sat them on the table and walked over to the fridge. She opened it and took out the bottle of water, which she poured into two glasses and sat on the table. She sat in her chair and grabbed the sesame chicken and began digging in. John chuckled and sat down opposite her, eating the cashew pork. After a few moments of companionable silence John spoke up,

"So what's been bothering you?" Clara looked up, then continued eating,

"I've absolutely no idea what you're talking about," She mumbled around the food in her mouth. John raised his (delicate) eyebrows,

"Have you now? So you have no recollection of not talking to me for seventeen days before suddenly calling me up and telling me to bring Chinese?" Clara shook her head,

"Nope. None at all." John set down his fork and reached across the table, grabbing Clara's free hand. He waited until she looked up to continue talking,

"I know you aren't telling me the truth." He softened his voice, "What happened?" He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "Did something happen with Danny?" A choked sob escaped Clara's throat. John broke at that noise, "Oh, Clara. I'm so sorry." Clara laughed and wiped the traitor tears away,

"It's fine! I mean, clearly, he wasn't 'the one'. But I'll find him one day," She sighed, "Hopefully." John stood up and sat in the chair next to Clara. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close,

"Clara, not only will you find him, but he will be the best man in the world. No, I take that back. The _universe_! And you know how I know that?" Clara shook her head, burying it further in the crook of John's neck. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "Because that is the only kind of man who could deserve someone as great as you, Clara." She let out a sob or a laugh, John wasn't sure which,

"I'm not that great, John. I can't even keep a guy like Danny." John pulled away, holding Clara out at arm's length,

"Do not talk about yourself like that! You are brilliant! You are funny, kind, smart, a bit bossy, but eh, everyone has flaws." Clara laughed an actual laugh at that. John wiped a tear of her cheek with his thumb, "And you are beautiful, Clara Oswald. You'll find the right guy. I know it." Clara smiled a sad smile and turned back to the food. She snatched up the two fortune cookies and threw one at John. She quickly opened her's and cracked open the cookie. Half of the cookie was gone before she had even unfolded the fortune. Her eyes scanned the paper and John opened his,

"What's it say, huh?" Clara shook her head and crumpled it up. The paper fell to the ground as she spoke,

"Nothing! I mean it's just a stupid fortune cookie." John cracked open his cookie taking the fortune and giving Clara the cookie (since he didn't like them and he knew she would take it anyway). He unfolded the paper and read out loud,

"'Do a loony-goony dance, 'cross the kitchen floor.'" Clara quickly said,

"That's a Shel Silverstein quote." But John wasn't listening. He stood up and opened the fridge. It was pitch black outside and the only light was from the living room and now the refrigerator. He walked back over to Clara and held out his hand. Clara looked at him skeptically, "What are you doing?" John shrugged,

"I'm just doing what the fortune cookie said. Who am I to stand in the way of fate?" Clara laughed, shaking her head. She sighed, took John's hand, and stood up. John grinned, placing his other hand on her waist and pulling her towards the middle of the room. The swayed back and forth, Clara spun into him, and John dipped her. They both laughed at how ridiculous they were, dancing to no music. Clara mentioned this and John began quietly humming Dream A Little Dream of Me.

They danced for quite some time until it was late, they were both exhausted, and Clara's head was resting on John's shoulder. When Clara started tripping over John's feet (and her own) he slipped an arm under her knees and carried her over to the couch. He threw a blanket on top of her and was just about to leave when Clara reached out and grabbed his arm. Her voice was muffled by the blanket so John had to ask her to repeat herself,

"Don't leave. Stay with me." She added, as an afterthought, "Please." John smiled and took off his shoes and jacket. He lay down next to Clara, his arms under his head. Clara rolled over, throwing an arm over John's midsection, pulling him closer to her. John stiffened and then relaxed. He wrapped an arm around Clara's waist and the other under his head. He rolled onto his side so he could look at Clara. He leaned forward, placing a light kiss on her temple. Clara sighed in her sleep and John tucked her hair behind her ear, knowing he was an absolute goner now.

xXx

John's eyes slowly opened as the soft morning light filtered onto him and Clara. He sighed at the beautiful moment. The pale yellow light. The quiet sounds of the two breathing. The smell of Clara (John was sure that would stay with him all day). He quietly slid out from under the blanket, careful not to disturb Clara. He grabbed his shoes and his jacket and lay them on the counter so he could clean up the food from last night. He threw away the takeout containers and put the forks and the glasses in the sink. He snuck a few gummy bears from the bowl as pulled on his shoes. He threw on his jacket and was just about to turn to leave, when something caught his eye. A piece of paper under the table.

Clara's fortune.

John's curiosity got the better of him and he knelt down and grabbed the paper. He flattened it out and his eyes flitted over the words. He grinned. Her reluctance to read it to him made sense now. He slipped into the living room and placed one last kiss on Clara's forehead, hoping that her nervousness over her fortune could only mean that it was true. He walked to the door, chuckling under his breath and shaking his head. He turned back to look at Clara. He whispered into the stillness of the room,

"Clara… My impossible girl." He glanced down at the paper again and smiled. He opened the door and walked out, closing it quietly behind him. He walked out of Clara's apartment building knowing that the fortune would bounce around in his head all day.

_The love of your life is sitting across from you._

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><p><strong>UGGGH THE WHOUFFLE FEELS! They're too much! If you enjoyed, please favorite and leave a review! Lots of love, Annie<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**What?! Annie is writing a multichapter that she isn't stressing over making flow together?! _WHAT?!_ Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter ;) You'll get to (kinda) see an old friend make an appearance.**

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><p>"Smile! No, not like you're in pain! Like you're happy!" John laughed as he threw more balloons in the air. The three little kids, whose pictures he was taking, giggled and he quickly snapped pictures of them. He had them do a few more poses before he finally took the SD card out of the camera,<p>

"Alright you three! You're all done now! Since you've been so good you can go grab some candy out of the bowl." The children cheered and John chuckled, "When you've gotten your candy why don't you go sit in that corner and play with the Lego's and the coloring books." The two boys shoved their sister out of the way, running for the candy and John just shook his head laughing. He walked over to his computer, plugging his SD card in and motioned for the parents to come over. He showed them the pictures and they decided on which ones they wanted. About twenty minutes later, the family went happily on their way and John plopped into his spiny-office chair. He sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes for a second.

It had been exactly five days since the "night of slow dancing" and John hadn't talked to Clara at all. He stood up and walked out of his studio and into the entryway. He grabbed the banister, swinging himself around the corner and taking the steps, two at a time, up to his apartment. He ran into the living room and threw himself onto the couch. He yelled into his apartment,

"Pond! Oi, come along Pond!" He waited and got no response. He stood up off the couch and said in a singsong voice, "Po-nd! We're going for a walk!" This got an instant reaction as his small corgi puppy ran out of the bedroom and started running in circles around his ankles. He laughed and grabbed the leash from the hook by the door. He clipped the end of it to Pond's collar and ran down the stairs with her. He opened the door and the pair walked out onto the streets of London. John was about to turn the corner at the end of his block, when he found his feet carrying him straight. Towards Clara. He kept walking, trying to figure out what he was going to say. What he _could _say. Just as he came to the front of Clara's building, just as he had figured out what he would say, he kept walking. He walked right past her building and looped back around towards his own apartment. John shook his head, disappointed in himself. He look led down at Pond, who was happily prancing along, unaware of what her owner was thinking,

"Your master's a coward, Pond. A right coward." Pond barked and wagged her tail happily. John kept walking.

xXx

Two days after the "near miss" and John still hadn't spoken to Clara. It was 6:23 and he hadn't eaten yet. He sat at his computer, editing a few graduation photos when his phone rang. He reached down, hit the accept button and propped it on his shoulder, without looking at the caller-id,

"Hello, John Smith!" He heard a laugh on the other side. A laugh he was familiar with and a laugh that sent his thoughts spinning,

"Obviously! I know who I'm calling!" Clara laughed again. John spun in his chair, resituating his phone,

"I didn't look at who was calling. I expected it to be a work thing. So what's up?" John could practically see her biting her lip while she formed her next sentence,

"Well, I was wondering if I could drop by! I have food, if that helps." He could hear the unspoken question. _Are we still okay? It is alright if I see you?_ John hadn't quite sorted out his feeling yet, but Clara was Clara and they would always be okay. He smiled,

"Course you can drop by!" Clara let out a relieved sigh,

"Good, because I'm outside the door!" John laughed as he stood up and walked into the entryway, to let Clara in. He opened the door and there she stood. All five foot two of her in a beautiful dark blue dress that hugged her body in all the right places. It must have been snowing (though John hadn't realized it) because there was a light dusting over everything and large flakes were clinging to Clara's hair. John grinned,

"Come on upstairs." Clara smiled and walked inside, a bag swinging from her hand. John tried to grab it, but Clara quickly pulled it out of his reach,

"Uh uh! Not until we're upstairs! If I know you, everything will be gone by the time you've climbed half the stairs." Clara sprinted up the stairs and beat John to the small kitchen that was attached to his living room. She placed the bag on the minuscule table and sat down on one of the two stools. John sat on the other, bouncing up and down,

"You're killing me, Clara! What's in the bag?" Clara grinned and pulled out two containers and a small paper bag,

"Two bowls of chicken noodle soup from that cafe on 15th that you like and a loaf of fresh bread! Perfect for a cold day! And afterwards, I was thinking-" John cut Clara off by jumping up and sweeping her into a crushing hug. Clara made a cute little sound of surprise and awkwardly patted John on the back. She laughed, "I had no idea you had such a craving for chicken noodle soup today!" John laughed and released Clara,

"You know very well that's not what the hug was for!" Clara shyly tucked her hair behind her ear,

"No, I did not know that, but feel free to tell me what it was for!" John put his hand in his pocket, feeling the fortune that was still in there. He went to grab it, but slowly pulled his hand out, knowing now wasn't the time. John laughed,

"Clearly, it was for the loaf of bread!" Clara relaxed,

"Don't forget the cookies!" John gasped,

"You got _cookies_?!" Clara nodded,

"Indeed I did." She reached into the bag and pulled out a little cardboard box with half a dozen cookies. John smiled and sat back down, grabbing one of the two containers of soup. Clara sat down opposite him and they both started eating.

xXx

John and Clara sat on the couch watching _Singing In The Rain_. Clara was quietly humming along, but John couldn't concentrate on the movie. The small bit of paper in his pocket felt like it weighed two tons and it was all he could do not to lean over and press his lips to Clara's. To place his hand on her waist and run his fingers through her hair. _Is it true?! _He wanted to shout at her, _Do you feel about me the way I feel about you?_ But, he didn't. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Going on 11:30. As if on cue, Clara yawned. John glanced over at her,

"Tired?" Clara shook her head,

"Nope! I am staying up this time!" John's heart leapt. Did that mean she remembered last time. John went to reach for the paper, but Clara was already talking again,

"John, look at me." He turned his head to face Clara. She reached up and placed her palms on his cheeks, "I know I was a mess last week and I'm really sorry. The dancing was sweet, but me asking you to stay was completely uncalled for. It's just-" She pulled back, bringing her knees up to her chest and frustratedly pushing her hair out of her face. She took a deep breath, "Do you remember when we were fourteen?" John nodded,

"Of course." _I remember all of it, _he wanted to say, _Every moment I've ever had with you_. Clara continued,

"When I dated that boy in our class. Tyler Forman? The three of us were best friends that year, but then…" She sighed, "But then I started dating him and when we, inevitably, broke up it ruined our friendship. After that I swore I would never get involved with a friend ever again. Never. Because, what you and I have, John… It's safe. It's _good_." She looked at him sadly, "And I don't ever want to lose it." John grabbed one of Clara's hands with both of his,

"And you never will, Clara. Because you're gonna be stuck with me. For a very long time, I'm sorry to say." Clara smiled,

"Good. I'd hate to ruin our friendship over a silly little thing like what happened last week." John's heart dropped to his feet. The fortune in his pocket seemed to have turn to lead. Clara stood up to leave and John followed her down the stairs and to the front door. He forced a smile,

"Thanks for the food, Clara." She smiled,

"Anytime, John." Clara stood on her tiptoes, gave John a kiss on the cheek, and walked out the door. John closed the door behind her, then walked back upstairs. He shuffled into his bedroom, falling onto his bed. _What you and I have, John … It's safe_. John buried his face in a pillow, wanting to scream with frustration. _I'd hate to ruin our friendship_. Is that all he would ever be to Clara? A friend? He angrily threw back the covers,

"Well, Clara Oswald, I'm not giving up on you. Not just yet." He climbed under the covers and turned off the light. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the thoughts of their conversation, but it didn't work. _I swore I'd never get involved with a friend ever again_. John squeezed his eyes shut so hard, tears rolled down his cheeks.

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><p><strong>Oh the feels! The angst! GAH! Tee hee! Well, I hope you're all excited for chapter three! Because, it might be awhile as I have two tests this week and two concerts on Saturday!<strong>

**Lots of Love, Annie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow this weekend was _crazy_! I had SO MUCH going on, but I spent three hours locked in my room tonight so I could write this for you guys! That's how much I love you! :) Anyway, listen to _Things We Lost In The Fire_ by Bastille while reading the last part of this chapter! It's great! Well, I hope you guys enjoy!**

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><p>John rolled over and hit his alarm clock, silencing the noise. <em>Why did I forget to turn that off? <em>It was Sunday, the one day John had his studio closed and he did not want to be up at 7:15. He awake though and he figured he might as well eat. He stood up and walked into the kitchen barefoot. He couldn't stop thinking about last night and what Clara had said. He kept telling himself it wasn't important, but he was lying to himself. He set the teapot on the stove to boil and grabbed a mug out of the cupboard. He went the two strides it took to cross the kitchen and opened the fridge grabbing the milk. He snatched a box of cereal and bowl, pouring the cereal and milk into the bowl. Just then the teapot whistled, so John left his cereal and fixed his tea. He leaned against the counter, drinking his tea and eating his Fruity Pebbles.

John glanced at the calendar and started. His birthday was on Tuesday. He finished his cereal and then went down to the studio to check his schedule for the week. He grinned as he saw he had no one scheduled on Tuesday except for one senior portrait session from 8:30 to 10:00. He quickly dialed Clara's number and fell into his chair. She picked up on the fourth ring and John instantly felt guilty, because of course she hadn't been awake yet. Her sleepy voice came over the phone,

"'Ello? 'Ow can I…" She was cut off by a yawn and John chuckled, "'Ow can I 'elp you?" John smiled and shouted into the phone,

"Well you can wake up for starters!" He heard a thump on the other end and assumed Clara had rolled out of bed. Literally. Clara yelled back,

"_Was that necessary?!_" John laughed,

"Absolutely not! But it was entertaining and I want you fully conscious when I ask you this question!" He could hear Clara standing up and shuffling across the carpet and into her kitchen. He heard the clank of her dishes and the click of her gas stove lighting,

"Alright fine! So what's the question?"

"Are you doing anything Tuesday?" Clara teased,

"All day Tuesday? Or a set time frame?" John chuckled,

"What time works best for you?" Clara continued to tease John,

"What's so special about Tuesday?" She paused, "How about brunch?" John grinned,

"Brunch would be perfect. Eleven sound okay?"

"Sounds great! See you then!"

"See you then," John agreed.

"G'bye, John."

"'Til Tuesday, Clara." He could just hear Clara chuckle as the phone clicked off. He set down his phone and went back upstairs to read a book. John was looking forward to Tuesday not because it was his birthday. He couldn't care less about that. No, he was looking forward to his date with Clara. He knew she wouldn't call it that, but no one was going to stop him from calling it that in his head. Tuesday could not come too soon.

xXx

John sat at the table of the restaurant, nervously straightening his bowtie. He glanced down at his watch. _11:04_. _Where is Clara?! _The bell on the door to the restaurant jingled and he quickly looked up. He smiled as Clara walked in, wearing a long-sleeved dress and black tights and looking beautiful as ever. Clara smiled at John as she slid into the booth. She shrugged off her coat and gratefully drank the hot chocolate he had ordered for her. She sighed,

"That's good hot chocolate!" She smiled at him again, "So what's up?" John raised one shoulder,

"Oh, you know… a crazy mother wanting her daughter to wear six different outfits for her senior portraits." John groaned inwardly just thinking of how Jackie Tyler had walked around his studio like she had owned the place while her daughter, Rose, kept giving John apologetic glances. Clara chuckled,

"That must of been fun." John shuddered,

"She asked which fabric complimented her skin more; silk or flannel? Like I had any idea!" John flapped his hands about and Clara giggled,

"Can you have a conversation without using your hands?" John threw his hands in the air,

"Yes!" He quickly glanced at them, then lowered them back to his lap, "Maybe. No, probably not. Anyway, how's teaching?" Clara's face lit up the way it always did when she talked about her students,

"It's great! We don't have classes today because the students are all on separate field trips." John sipped his hot chocolate,

"Wow, how'd you get out of that one?" Clara grinned,

"They're all for art, music, or other electives. Core teachers didn't have to go." John smiled,

"Lucky for me then."

"So was there a special reason you wanted to go out to brunch today?" Clara grinned at him. John laughed at her constant teasing and went along with it,

"No reason other than I wanted to spend part of my day with my best friend in the world!" They both laughed. The two chatted for the next few hours, eating brunch and drinking hot chocolate. Once they started disrupting other tables with their cheerful banter, they decided to go back to John's place. They went up to his apartment and got out board games. Clara peered at him over her Battleship board. She raised an eyebrow,

"B... 7." John groaned and Clara jumped up and cheered, "Yes! I knew I'd get there in the end!" John threw a pillow at her,

"You sunk my aircraft carrier!" Clara tossed back the pillow and waltzed around the couch with an invisible partner, singing,

"I beat John at Battleship! I beat John at Battleship!" John leapt up and grabbed Clara by the waist, as she waltzed by, and pulled her back onto the couch. Clara giggled and (weakly) tried to get out of John's grasp. As John pinned her down, he unconsciously leaned forward. The more Clara tried to get away, the more John kept her on the couch, and the closer their faces got. When Clara's laughing subsided, her breathing became heavy, and their faces were only a few inches apart, time stopped. John felt as if he could stay in that moment forever, but he didn't. Clara laughed nervously and John's grip on her loosened just enough for her to pull away and sit up on the couch.

John laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. Clara stood up and straightened her dress,

"That was a lot of fun, but," She looked up at the clock on the wall, "Oh, my stars! It's almost 5:30!" She walked quickly down the stairs and John hurried after her. He grabbed her coat off the coat-rack by the door and helped her put it on,

"What's at 5:30?" Clara put on her gloves and wouldn't look John in the eye,

"Oh, I have a friend coming over." John nodded, knowing Clara wasn't telling the truth,

"Alright, well thanks for coming out to brunch and the board games." Clara smiled,

"No problem! I had a lot of fun today!" She pulled open the door and walked out, calling over her shoulder, "See you soon, John!" John waved and yelled back,

"G'bye, Clara!" He quickly closed the door to keep the cold out. He groaned and let his head fall back against the door. He was so stupid, so completely stupid it wasn't even funny. Clara had made it clear they were just friends, and if he _ever_ wanted to be with her as something _more_ than friends, he couldn't just go around trying to kiss her at every possible opportunity. He climbed the stairs, muttering to himself,

"She made up a fake friend, just so she could leave! Why'd you have to make it awkward?! You are so incredibly thick, John!" He collapsed onto the couch, wishing to just erase the last ten minutes from his memory. But, then again, they hadn't been all bad. He had been close enough to Clara's face to make out each separate eyelash. To see all of the tiny flecks of gold in her brown eyes. To count all the freckles, scattered across her nose like stars in the sky. John groaned again. No, there was no way he could ever let go of these feelings for Clara.

xXx

John sat in his window seat, trying to concentrate on the words on the page of the book he was reading. It really was quite a good book (The Great Gatsby. One of his favorites.) But he could not, for the life of him concentrate on it. It was 7:30. Just two hours since Clara had left and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since. He restlessly tried to get comfortable and squinted at the book. He eventually gave up and put the book back on the shelf. He stood in the middle of his living room, scratching the back of his neck, before he made his decision and hurried down the stairs. He quickly threw on his coat and tugged a scarf around his neck, then walked out of his front door, locking it behind him. He ran down the sidewalk to the street, snow blowing in his face, and hailed a taxi. He jumped in the backseat and gave the driver Clara's address.

They were there all too soon. Between getting out of the cab and reaching Clara's door, John almost turned around 9 times. When he reached the door it took him five times to actually knock. He waited five seconds after knocking before going to turn around. Just as he was about to walk back downstairs, the door swung open. There stood Clara, her cheeks pink, a smile on her face, and a glass of wine in her hand. Had she not been lying about a friend coming over? As soon as Clara registered that it was John standing in her doorway, the smile fell off her face,

"John? W-what are you doing here?" She laughed nervously, trying to shield her apartment from John with her body. But, what her body couldn't shield was the voice that came drifting over her shoulder,

"Oi, Clara? Who's at the door?" John's stomach dropped down to the second floor. Danny. Danny Pink was sitting in Clara's living room. Laughing with her, drinking wine with her. Clara hollered back,

"It's just John! Just gimme a sec!" She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She lowered her voice to a loud whisper,

"What are you doing?! Just showing up at my apartment?!" John matched her tone,

"What are _you_ doing with Danny Pink in your apartment?! I thought you two were over!" John adapted to a sarcastic, mocking voice that part of him hated himself for using. But it was the other part, the part that was furious with Clara, that urged him on, telling him to inflict as much pain on her as she had inflicted on him, "I thought he had broken your heart!" Hurt flash across Clara's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with rage,

"I can do what I like, John! I'm not a _child_!" John snorted,

"You could have fooled me! He _hurt_ you, Clara! And you're just gonna keep going back to him?!" Clara looked at the ground, refusing to look at John. He laughed a cruel laugh, "Oh that's just brilliant! You still love him!" Clara didn't argue, so John continued, "He can do whatever he wants to you," His voice, which had risen in anger, became dangerously quiet, "He can leave you, he can hurt you, he can tear you down and make you feel like nothing at all, but you know what you'll do?!" Clara didn't answer, so John continued in his deadly whisper, "You'll forgive him and crawl back to him and pretend like nothing happened." John threw his hands in the air, "Do you realize he's taking advantage of you?! If you keep doing this, he's going to realize he can do whatever he wants and still keep you! He doesn't _deserve _you, Clara!" Clara burst out at that,

"Oh, and I supposed you do?!" John was speechless at that, but Clara was picking up steam, "Don't think I haven't noticed! Not just the night we danced or today at your house, but for _years_, John! The absolutely _hopeless_ puppy dog looks! The small acts of absurd kindness! Being nice to me, 'just because'! It's ridiculous, John!" John tried to keep his voice down,

"Why today? Why _today_ of all the days you could have hooked up with him?!" Clara stared at him,

"We aren't 'hooking up' and _what's _so important about today?!" John's heart joined his stomach on the second floor. He had thought she had been joking about it earlier today, but maybe she had been genuine. _She's never forgotten my birthday before. In fifteen years, not once._ He tried to speak past the lump in his throat. His voice was so quiet he could barely hear it himself,

"Today's my birthday." He saw the regret and sadness wash over Clara's face, but she must have been very upset, because it didn't stay long,

"Well, la-dee-da! I'm sorry I didn't buy you a present!" The words hurt John, but he tried to make up for what he had said,

"You don't have to buy me a present. Clara I've never needed anything, but you." Clara's eyes softened, but her words didn't,

"Stop. Just… stop. Because no matter what I feel, John, we can't be together like that. Because that part of us isn't the slow-dancing in my kitchen, or the cheesy movies in your living room, or board games on a snowy day. It's this," She motioned between them, her voice raising,

"It's the fights we had as kids, where we wouldn't talk for weeks. It's the arguments that neither of us can win, because neither of us know when to _give in_. It's you being hopelessly in love with me and me not wanting to see you here ever again!" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Clara looked as if she wished she could take them back. Throw them out the window, shove them under her couch, anything except speak them. But it was too late. John nodded his head,

"Alright. You know what? That's fine, I'll leave, but don't-" He choked past the lump in his throat that grew with every word he said, "_Don't_ expect me to be a shoulder to cry on when Soldier Boy leaves you again, because, he _will_ leave you again, Clara. But, I almost hope he doesn't because," Clara shook her head trying to block out what John was going to say next. He got closer to her face and whispered, "You two … deserve each other."

Clara stubbornly set her jaw, fisted her hands in the lapels of John's jacket and threw him against the opposite wall. John expected Clara to hit him. He expected her to throw more stinging words in his face. But, no one can imagine how surprised John was when Clara tilted up her head and crashed her lips against his.

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><p><strong>MUAHAHAHA! Oh you have NO idea how much I enjoyed writing that last part! Probably more than I should have to be honest... I think I'm going to wrap everything up in the next chapter (or two possibly). Well, on that note, if you enjoyed please favorite, follow, and review!<strong>

**Lots of Love (though it may not seem like it after that chapter), Annie**


	4. Chapter 4

**I wasn't going to put this up until later this week, but I just love it so much and I feel like it's just a great ending to this story and I was so excited that I couldn't wait! :) Thank-you so much to everyone who has followed and favorited this story! And a special thank-you to everyone who has left a review! And an even bigger thank-you to everyone who encouraged me to continue this story! I've loved writing this and I'm so glad I listened to all of you! I hope you all enjoy the final chapter of DRitRL!**

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><p>Out of instinct, John cupped his hand around the back of Clara's neck, his long fingers twisting into her hair. His other hand pressed against the small of her back, bringing her closer to him. The kiss was angry and heavy, but it wasn't invasive. There was no tongue or biting, but the lips that moved against each other were hard and unforgiving. Both wanted to prove their love to the other, but there was also the vicious beast, roaring in both of their chests. The beast that wanted to cause as much hurt and pain to the other as they themselves had felt.<p>

Clara let go of John's jacket and braced her hands against the wall behind him, to keep herself from stumbling. John had always known Clara was short, but it hadn't really mattered or had an impact on him until now. He slipped his other hand down to her waist and wrapped both of his arms around middle, pulling her up closer to him. The kisses slowly lost their anger and heat. They fell into a steady rhythm and John couldn't stop smiling against Clara's lips.

When the two finally broke apart, Clara clasped her hands behind John's neck. John tilted his head down, so their foreheads touched. The two were breathing heavily and what was really only a few seconds, seemed to stretch out for an infinity. An infinity where there was nothing in the universe except the two of them. John was just thinking of how he would be perfectly content to never move from this spot for the rest of his life, when the door to Clara's apartment swung open. Danny stepped out into the hallway, but the two payed him no attention. Clara just smiled sweetly and turned her head, not moving her body from John's,

"Danny, you're a complete and total ass. I really should have told you sooner, but there you have it. I'd say it's been a pleasure to know you, but it really hasn't." Clara pulled away, grabbing John's hand and tugging him into her apartment. John wiggled his fingers at Danny, over his shoulder, as he kicked the door shut behind him. The last image he got of Danny was one of him standing in the hallway, his mouth hanging open and his eyes round. Clara pulled John onto the couch and placed her hands on his jaw. She leaned forward, sliding her lips against his. The two went on kissing for a few minutes before John mumbled,

"Clara."

"Mhmm?" John chuckled,

"As much as I'm liking this new arrangement, do you think maybe we should talk?" Clara laughed,

"Yeah I guess we should." She sat back, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Sorry."

"No, don't apologize! It's _absolutely_ fine! Better than fine, in fact, it's great!" Clara smiled and pressed a finger to John's lips,

"Babbling." John nodded. Clara stood up and motioned for John to as well. She pulled the cushions off her little loveseat and threw them on the floor, pulling out the hide-a-bed. She threw some pillows onto the mattress and the two lay down, facing each other, just like when they were kids, having a sleepover. Clara propped her chin on her hands and John realized he would have to be the one to start this conversation,

"I'm sorry. I'm so, _so _sorry about what I said about Danny. I didn't mean it."

"No, it was true. All of it" John shook his head,

"Not that last part. I still stand by what I said when he left you the first time. You deserve only the best and the greatest the universe has to offer you." Clara smiled and then it fell,

"John, I'm… I can't even begin to say how sorry I am. What I said was rude, uncalled for, and absolutely not true! If you- if you were suddenly gone and I could never see you again, I wouldn't be able to function. You've been my best friend for fifteen years and I don't ever want to lose you. And I know I said this before, but that was when I was trying to end anything romantic between us, because ... the truth is…" Clara sat up and crossed her legs, pushing her hair out of her face. She took a deep breath,

"John, I've been in love with you for a long time now and that scares the hell out of me." John sucked in his breath. There it was, out in the open. All the cards were on the table and both of them knew how the other felt. Clara continued,

"I've never been able to keep a guy for that long. I think the boyfriend that lasted the longest lasted maybe ten months. I was terrified that if I let myself fall in love with you, and that if we got together, I would lose you. That we would end on bad terms and I wouldn't just be losing my current boyfriend. I would be losing my best friend in the whole world. And I never wanted that to happen, so I pushed you away. Romantically, at least. When I noticed your feelings for me, part of me was ecstatic and the other part was scared senseless. I pushed my feelings down for _years_ and then I met Danny." John shifted from where he was sitting on the bed, "He was nice, at first, and I thought I could finally forget about you. Well, you know how that worked out and then came that terribly, beautiful night." John didn't have to ask which night she was talking about.

_John walked back over to Clara and held out his hand. Clara looked at him skeptically, "What are you doing?" John shrugged,_

"_I'm just doing what the fortune cookie said. Who am I to stand in the way of fate?" Clara laughed, shaking her head. She sighed, took John's hand, and stood up. John grinned, placing his other hand on her waist and pulling her towards the middle of the room. The swayed back and forth, Clara spun into him, and John dipped her. They both laughed at how ridiculous they were, dancing to no music._

"I couldn't stop beating myself up over that! I so badly wanted to be with you and I knew you liked me and I knew it was possible to be together, but I was just so _scared_." John reached out, pulling Clara into his lap. She rested her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms protectively around her. He gently kissed the top of her head,

"Now, Clara, listen and listen carefully, because this is the only time I'll say this." He waited a beat, "I am not going to leave you. Now, this relationship won't be easy, because I know the two of us and nothing with us is ever easy and I'm not saying everything will be peachy-keen. I know there will be fights. My God, there will be fights! I think tonight stands as a testament to that. There might even be some nights when I sleep on the couch or leave the building completely. But, I will always come back. Because, in reality no relationship is perfect and they all need work to keep them good. We'll need work, but what we have is worth fighting for. There will be days when we are pulling our hair out over how the other one is acting, but we just have to know we love each other and know that we'll get there in the end. We'll always get there in the end, Clara." He gripped her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye,

"So? Whataya have to say?" Clara slowly smiled and leaned forward just enough to brush her lips against his. When she spoke, her voice was low and her lips still touched John's,

"Are you going to stay the night?" John grinned,

"Absolutely."

xXx

John lay on his back and Clara's head rested on his chest. He absently stroked her hair and looked out the window. It was late, she was asleep, and yet the city stayed awake. Lights flashed by as cars went who-knows where, to do who-knows what. It was these nights that John loved. Winter nights when it wasn't cold enough to snow, but it wasn't warm enough to rain, and the resulting sleet fell down, catching the light of the city as it traced its way down the window. John looked down at Clara and smiled. He quietly whispered into the dark,

"I love you, Clara." He closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sound of her breathing.

xXx

As soon as Clara's lease is up on her apartment, she moves in with John. They're a little cramped, but they have everything they need in their small little home. For John's next birthday (which Clara remembers) she buys him a Polaroid camera and soon enough, their whole living space is covered in the instant photos. The entire front of the fridge is a collage of John and Clara (and Pond). Them going to the movies. Them at night on a boardwalk. Them on holiday at the beach. When their friends learn of the relationship, not a single one of them is surprised. It seems the only ones who ever doubted it would happen were the two themselves. The two quickly and easily fall together as if there was never any other way this story could have ended.

And one day when Clara comes home from work and sits at the table, across from John, he slides her a box. Inside the box sits a ring with a small strip of paper wrapped around it. Clara pulls out the paper, reads it, and begins to cry. She launches herself into John's arms, laughing and kissing him, repeating one word over and over. _Yes_. John puts the ring on her finger, Clara takes the piece of paper and slides it into her pocket, and all John can think is that the wheel has come full circle. That little piece of paper that started it all. That little piece of paper that reads:

_The love of your life is sitting across from you._

* * *

><p><strong>Are you crying? Because I am! Again, thank you so much for reading this! If I hadn't received such great support, I wouldn't have continued this story! As always, favorites and reviews are greatly appreciated! Also, if you have any ideas for a new story or oneshot, let me know!<strong>

**Lots of Love, Annie**


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